Raingear for Elk Hunting
Elk
I searched. I expected to find a lot of threads. But I didn't. So here goes...
I'm heading to Colorado for a September elk hunt. I don;t know which week yet.
What raingear do you recommend?
I've used Helly Impertech for an Alaskan moose hunt. The stuff is definitely waterproof. But it is heavy and you sweat a lot under it.
I also used Frogg Toggs for whitetail hunting. It is light but not very durable and not extremely waterproof.
I know I could spend $400 or $600 for Sitka/Kuiu gear. But that seems like overkill...
I hate to sweat...I've given up rain pants for good.
Fortunately, my SLIP System keeps the high country storms off me, so it allows me to get by with minimal rain gear.
A pair of gaiters, a Cabela's Space Rain Jacket (Super light and packable), and my SLIP System will handle anything September can throw at me in the High Country.
It also provides me with an excellent trekking pole, and an instantly deployable elk decoy.
PM me for a Bowsiter Discount on this great tool.
Best of Luck, Jeff (Bowsite Sponsor)
Marmot PreCip. They make a dark green jacket. Precip pants only come in black buty are full zip which is nice.
I learned a few years ago there is no such thing as "expensive" rain gear.
We spend too much money and too limited time hunting to have to worry about if it will rain the next day, or the next hour, for fear that we know if it does we are not going to be able to hunt or at least enjoy the outting.
if you don't have gear that allows you to say " i don't care if it rains or not because i am protected in this equipment" then you are in deep trouble and the loss of time and enjoyment far exceeds the loss of the money you spent on the good gear.
you will lose days to rain on trips if your gear does not allow you to persevere. the cost of those days is a heck of a lot more than the cost of good gear.
I have the Cabela's micro packable rain set I really like. It is super small, and stays in my pack unless it starts raining...
It worked well last year up in Nunavut even in the boats on the lake getting pounded by spray in the waves. Of course we had rubber boots on so our feet were always dry as well.
The quietest stuff I have ever used has to be Rivers West and there new line seems to breathe a lot better than the original. Its not supper light but you will never get wet in it!
Anything light and small enough that you'll carry it with you. I use the Cabelas Space tops and bottoms. They are always in the bottom of my pack, even scouting.
You can leave camp in CO and expect it to be blue sky and sunny. A half hour later a hailstorm can roll in over the mountain unexpectedly and the temps drop 30 degrees in minutes. That great rain gear back in camp won't help you survive.
I learned my lesson the hard way, and thought I was going to lose a buddy to hypothermia when our t-shirt scouting expedition turned into 4" of hail and freezing temps. In July.
Think about the need. You are a bowhunter.
I have found that when it is moderate to heavy rain, I am holed up trying to stay warm and dry. I will hunt in light rain. My logic? I am bowhunting. Even if I come up on an animal I want to shoot, is it ethical if the blood trail will get watered down quickly?
My biggest issues are dew in the morning and light rain. I keep rain gear in the pack (Cabelas Space Rain) I can throw them over the top of my insulated clothing and offer a wind barrier also. (Even w/o rain). In 2013, I hunted in heavy wet snow and it sucked. Every branch was loaded with wet snow. As you pushed your way through, you would be soaked. Rain gear keep me mostly dry.
I hate hoods while hunting. They cut down my hearing too much. Only pull it up when hunkered down.
I have Jeff's SLIP system and will be using it this fall. (And not just to keep my dry!)
I too use Cabelas Space Rain gear. Doesn't take much room in the backpack Used it for 4 years now in Colorado & N Mexico. No problems, no issues. Wore it almost everyday in Co in 2013
Jeff's Slip System has also been a nice shelter during rainstorms. It's like a "Swiss Army Tool" for elk hunters. I use it for a hiking staff, blind, decoy, sun shade and rain shelter. It also works for a tent pole for my Kifaru tarp.
Cabelas Space Rain for me.
Cabelas Space rain for me too.
I used to carry goretex rain gear in my pack but its too damn heavy, I am packing a poncho this year. I hope it works out.
Get rain gear that will dry quickly. We got hit with rain on our horseback ride in, I was wearing Cabelas rain suede. I stayed dry but my jacket was wet for the next 3 days. My next trip I will be wearing my Marmot PreCip jacket and pants.
I bought a set of Cabela's MTO50 in 1999, and they are still in great shape today, I think I paid like $300.00 for them then. Have had them on in some of Colorado's worst rain storms, kept me completely dry/warm-yet there not to heavy for warm weather.
I have used the MT050 in the past. It's not all that light and it takes a while to dry. It is pretty quiet though. Last year I used the cabelas space rain. It's light and works OK. My buddy bought the sitka dew point. He like it a lot. I know I will be switching to sitka when the space rain wears out.
In 2013 it was pretty wet in September. Good rain gear helped a lot. Our first evening a rainstorm moved in a couple of hours before dark. We got dumped on the remainder of the evening. All we had brought was a rain jacket. Bad mistake. We ended up being soaked all the way through.
Cabelas packable rain suede has been the best for me. Not the absolute lightest, but durable. I just replaced mine after 8 seasons. Not absolute quiet, but quiet enough.
I also have an MTO50 jacket and it is quieter because it has an outer thin "fleece" . Thin though it is, it does hold water, which can make you cold. If you get that product you need to treat it with a DNR water repellant. I used Kiwi Fabric protector with the blue lid (there are several products) It is available at the shoe dept of WalMart
I am too rough on mine to ever use space rain.
I use Sitka raingear because it's camo but also have Marmot Precip. I've had just as good of luck with the precip....super light, packable, and breathable!
Make sure any rain jacket you get has pitzips. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on rain jackets that don't have pitzips!
If you want the best priced rain set up on the market go to Sierra Trading website, use a coupon code for 20 to 30% off their already fantastic prices on Marmot precips!
It's been raining off and on for the past month or so in Colorado and I've yet to get wet using my precip jacket. I've used them salmon fishing in downpours in Alaska and have always stayed pretty darn dry!
Cabelas Space Rain....ALWAYS in the pack. Rarely wear rain pants. Usually, you are just riding out a 30 minute storm in the afternoon.
Your question leaves lots of questions? Are you looking to go lightweight? Cabelas Space Rain will work on most years and fits that bill. However if you just want to buy one set I would buy something like what KUIU makes and can be used in the mountains of Colorado or any other mountain hunt. They too are lightweight and made way better. I have a jacket made by Rivers West ..one of the older ones and it is way heavier but it is warmer too. Riding an ATV back to camp just below timberline in a wet snow squall with a neoprene face mask I was not cold or wet. 8 miles in that stuff even running down the highway. That one is not what I would carry in my pack. Just what I had and used where I was hunting so I could stay away from the elk. First Light is making some really good stuff that I have not tried out so maybe someone else that has used it will pipe in. I remember hunting one year around Durango and it rained so much that the space rain kept me dry but I didn't pack layers to put under it and I froze my butt off. For most afternoon showers it is still a good choice. Otherwise bring layers for the rain too. It gets cold at elevation.
+ huntingbob. There is no one "perfect" set of rain gear for elk hunting. Space is in my pack always. A Ridgeline rain parka (made in NZ - they know how to make harsh weather gear) is always in my ATV box.
Great advice on the underlayers too. Dry is important but if the temp drops from 65 to 30 in minutes you can still get hypothermia and be in big trouble. I carry a packable Primaloft vest and/or jacket for that.
Good advice on this thread
Space rain works for me. Rarely use the pants but they have come in handy at times....
I carry a small 6×8 tarp everywhere I go in the mountains along with my raingear. Heavier showers/storms it becomes invaluable to me.
It's not overkill if it keeps you nice and dry! Staying dry can also be the difference between life and death in a survival situation. I love my Kuiu rain coat...
The law of threes in survival.
Three minutes without air. Three hours of exposure Three days without water Three weeks without food.
Leave your food home and take good rain gear.
Yes, Sitka gear and Kuiu make good, but expensive rain gear. How much is it worth to you to be dry and warm? I don't hunt heavy rain due to the affect on shooting accuracy and washed out blood trails.
Cabelas Space Rain gear for me too (about 10 total so far!)! As many others have stated, its light & compact so you can always have it in your pack. It works well in the rain too. It just isn't durable. Not a serious issue, just be careful where you walk. Don't push through heavy brush or things like rose thorns. If it tears, turn it inside out and put duct tape on it for a great repair (ask me how I know!).....
I also have Sitka raingear, however, its so much bulkier and heavy that I would not consider it for elk hunting.
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I have an MT050 suit that's at least 12 years old and still going strong . Only pack the jacket unless calling for a soaker. Also an REI space blanket and paracord for a quick shelter or unexpected overnight stay.
The Marmot Precip is still on sale at Sierra Trading Post.
The good news is that the jacket and pants can be had for $121 shipped (using promo code SITEKEEP6152).
But the bad news is that the colors are limited. The only color for the jacket is sorta dark orange (Burnt Spice). Do elk care about color? Would that color work as well as camo?
The system I have settled on is a Marmot precip jacket for hunting in light rain, and a tree-mountable half-umbrella kinda like Jeff's for hunkering down in heavy showers. The umbrella keeps my bow and pack dry too, whereas clothing won't.
I forgot to mention that the MTO50's are packable, and fit perfect in my Bianca pack with plenty of room for many other things.
I bought the Core4Element Torrent jacket and pants on Camofire for under $200 total. It works great, packs small and is pretty quiet. I use the jacket as a wind breaker when glassing and riding in and out over the pass.
raingear is one of those things where you totally get what you pay for and more expensive is better.....in most instances WAY better. First Lite, Sitka, KUIU own this stuff if you want good quality rain gear that breathes and lasts. You can wear it all day everyday if you want..the hell with putting it in your pack.
To me nothing is too expensive for my own personal comfort in miserable hunting conditions.
Having said that it's doesn't rain much during most elk seasons. The cheap stuff like MT050 and the like worked for me for years in that environment...but I always have two sets. One set dries in the tent while I wear the other. New dry gear every morning is the way to go with the cheapo stuff.
